St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22

anu tne glorious prospect OF mOOnlit slOpes
and peaks burst upon him. and brought
him back to consciousness Of himself and
his surroundings. Then he suddenly turned
squarely around and walked quickly back
the way he had come. When he reached the
camp there were no lights to be seen; even
the saloon was dark He went to Jack
Hinton's cabin and knocked at the door
There was no reply, but the sound of heavy
breathing could be heard within. Again
he knocked, a long succession of hard
raps. At last voice said: "Eh! What's
that? Oh! Hello! Who's there"
Its me-Dougan.'
There was a sound of bare feet on the floor,
and then the door was opened.
What the devil are you doing about this
time of fnight?" growled Hinton
Il want to talk with you, Jack" said
Dougan. 81 must talk and you're the only
man in camp that can trust. 1t seems like
dream to met is too good to be true.
Just tell me- Jack, if I'm asleep"
"Oh, come, Joe, what's all this nonsense
about? Out with it ~
Dougan turned toward him and spoke fast
and abruptly
MY name isn't Dougan, Jack; it's
Bauer
Good hcavensn' calculated Hinton.
Those were my books you saw in NV hut,
but | didn't know. | thought | was J ii Dou-
gan, but tonight it all comes back t" me. |
| am not Joe Dougan; am Fritz Bauer. Oh :,
| | can tell you how it was, and you will be-
! lleye me. When first came to this country
| must have been terribly sick, for all that
time has been blank. When l came to
myself had forgotten my own name. In
; some way think am Joe Dougan-where
! got the name, l do not know. Something
seemed strange about it all but that wears
away. Sometimes thought dreamed hau
a wife and child but | cannot make it out
/ clearly, and at last | give it up, and | am
! content to be Joe Dougan and let the dreams
take care of themselves. The sickness lett
. me with strange name and these cursed
| eyes.
1 But tonight Jack it all came back to me;
the haunting dream came back and then it
all cleared up. and find am not Joe Dou-
gan. but Fritz Bauer. Tonight went by
the cabin of the boy You call 'Dutchy:' for
some reason looked in as he sat there in
the dark he held a photograph in his hand;
! caught glimpse of it. And Jack" Dou-
gan lowered his voice almost to Whisper
my life upon it. it was my wife (and God
be praised for these eyes for once)! Don't
YOU understand. Jack-it was my wife and
this boy is my boy, my son, my Fritzchen?'
My God" exclaimed Hinton, and Dou-
gan could see that his face was as white as a
sheet.
What is it, man? For Heavens sake
speak, cried Joe.
Hinton stared at him a moment in daze,i
way.
You didn't speak to him. did you, Joe >"
he gasped,
"No no! What Of that -
why. he thinks you re dead continued
Hinton hoarsely.
Well, what of that; amt cried Dou-
gan.
''But-but-" stammered Jack His
your wi-fe-thinks you're dead -
''Well,' roared Dougan, didn't tell you
| amt? What's the ditference?'
But, joe began Hinton again. tremu-
lousy, ''she-shes married again-there. l
had to say it, Joe. The youngster told me
all about it last week"
Dougan sank down on the edge of the
couch with low moan. Hinton looked at
him helplessly; once or twice he essayed to
speak, but no words came from his lips.
"Ach ! mein Fritzchen-und meine scheme
Helena-noch NAL verloren.' moaned Dou
gan, with his face in his hands Then he
arose and staggered from the cabin. Hin
ton watched the tottering figure cross the
stretch of moonlit ground until it was lost
from sight in the uncertain shadows.
Just after dark the next evening Joe Dou
gan went down the road toward the young
Germans cabin, but finding it empty he
walked on. He did not notice the figure
following him in the twilight. 1t was Jack
Hinton. 1t grew dark as Dougan strobe on
He turned off from the road and went up the
slope, where by day the yawning mouths OF
several scattered tunnels could be seen.
"Dutchy's working night as well as day
now and he's going to see him." muttered
Hinton to himself, as he observed the di- |
recton Dougan had taken. 1t grew still
darker as Joe proceeded up the hill. At last
he stopped at one of the dark openings. /
Hinton crept nearer and was about to speak
when Dougan suddenly turned and walked
on in diagonal direction up the slope. The
action puzzled Hinton, but there seemed to
be some method in it, as if the man had
caught sight Of something up the mountain.
AS Dougan proceeded further up his form
emerged from the shadow of the distant
mountains, and Hinton could see it
distinctly against the star-lit sky, for the |
moon had not come up yet Then ali |
of sudden Jack saw the form of his |
friend drop down. Then he felt sure that |
Dougan had seen something which was not
visible to his own ordinary eyes, and had
laid down to creep nearer the object or per-
son without being observed. Hinton at
once made toward the spot where he had
seen Dougan crouch down. He had hardly
reached it when a pistol shot followed by
two more in quick succession. rang out; he
saw the flashes not far away, and then
dimly discerned two figures flying Oft down
the slope. Hinton ran to the spot. couple
of dark bodies lay on the ground among
the rocks. One of them moaned and
turned, and Hinton recognized the glaring
eyes of Dougan as they turned toward him
in the darkness.
"Joer' he cried, as he dropped on his
knees beside the fallen man and lifted his